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The Silent Ravens
The Silent Ravens is the oldest tribe of Kvaren ("Screamers") living in Kerawac ("Valley of the Screamers"). Like any other tribe, the Silent Ravens are a nomadic people that do not settle in one place, travelling across the vast lands with no clearly set path. Most of the time, they will follow migratory beasts for hunting, however they have their own livestock which they maintain quite well. Due to their small group size, they're quite free to set up camp anywhere. The Silent Ravens specialize in the art of Stealth, investigation and subterfuge, however not all their members are required to be good at this. They do have some craftsman that keep their equipment repaired and their weapons sharpened, however beyond that, they lack any kind of vanity craft. The Silent Ravens have extremely skilled and powerful Shadewalkers, whom know almost everything about every important tribesman among other tribes, as well as information about Ebonknights as a group and as individuals. Induction The population of The Silent Raven tribe numbers at about 600 people, including native Kvaren, their slaves and members who have joined the tribe by one of five ways: 1. Any woman who gives birth to a child by a Kvaren man, or the father of a child born to a kvaren woman, may automatically be considered members of the tribe. Obviously this method only works of both parents agree on the paternity of the child. 2. Marrying. Any non-kvaren can be inducted into the tribe if they marry a current member. 3. Any slave who wishes to join the tribe as a full member may do so if they kill their Master/Mistress and then request to join the tribe. This method requires witnesses and typically the challenger will face off against their Master/Mistress in duel-like combat, but that is not strictly required. 4. The Hunt. Anyone, slave or outsider, can become a full member of the tribe if they perform the Hunt that is recognized throughout all of Kvaren people. The prospective member can go into the wilderness alone with a very small number of supplies and a weapon and must return with proof that they have killed one of the deadly Kerawac creatures. Slaves must acquire their Master/Mistresses permission to try this method, and it is not always granted because the slave could then go on to request permission to join ANY Kvaren tribe. 5. Take on a stealth mission that is supervised by a Shadewalker, and come back with valuable and valid information on an individual or activity conducted by EbonKnights, without anyone noticing. This way of joining is specific to The Silent Ravens, as it is a test of how well they will do as a Shadewalker. Those who take this test are almost always those who wish to become a Shadewalker. Combat and Defence The Silent Ravens are one of the only tribes that raid Ebonfort for information rather than kills, however killing Ebonknights is normally inevitable, thus many Shadewalkers come back with sashes and pins. The Shadewalkers specialize in Hunting tactics, assassination and Stealth. Most Ravens are have insanely quick reflexes and combat skills to back it up. However their weapon of choice is often up to the individual. Unlike their current Warlord, Ravens tend to use single bladed weapons, ranged and unarmed. Status and Slaves Social status among the Ravens is based upon Skill and Intelligence. It is unclear how the Silent Ravens choose their Warlords, as they have only had two. A Grand Master Shaman and their current Warlord, the Shaman's student. So far the position has only been passed down rather than earned. Like most Kvaren tribes, the Ravens take slaves. However these slaves are often those that carry valuable information on their enemies, and are subject to interrogation. After all the information is 'squeezed' out of them, they are used as normal slaves. Like most tribes, they like to take in slaves for pleasure as well. Slaves are generally well treated unless they were high priority information targets. They are subject to all sorts of interrogation methods, after which they are treated fairly nicely by the majority of the tribe. Magic The Kvaren people as a whole, respect and appreciate magic users. The Silent Ravens is home to a large variety of magic users of any skill level (Though few are Artisan rank at best). When a magic user is discovered in the tribe, most, if not all, the tribesman are willing to help them cultivate their magic, whether that person is a slave or not. Should someone try to use their magic to harm a tribesman, they will be erased immediately and without remorse, no matter how connected with the tribe they were. Demographics 85% Free Tribe Members 15% Slaves - 65% Human, assorted 15% Earth Pony 5% Were-creature 5% Other 10% Notable Silent Raven Members Warlord Shaman Zenovia Swordsmaster Taranis, specializing in Polearms, single and double-edged. Can use Temper. Master Shadewalker '''Hondor, Interrogation and torture. Can use Clairvoyancy. '''Shadewalker Kallen, disguises as an Ebonknight (Relays messages to his Tribe via ravens), specializes in swords, especially rapiers and estocs. Can use Illusion magic. Shadewalker Raandi, Assassination, specializes in single-bladed daggers and bows, Can use Distortion. Shadewalker '''Aran, disguises as an information broker. Can use Illusion magic. '''Shadewalker Mari, disguises as a member of Ebonfort's criminal network, specializes in poison. Master Healer: Erin Haanglow, Uses both medicinal/herbal healing and magic healing. Traditions In addition to what has already been mentioned, there are several other traditions practiced by Silent Raven tribe members that may or may not be shared by other tribes. Feather Earrings: Feather earrings are given from one Raven member to another as a sign of marriage, the feathers are taken from a raven that is under the ownership of either party and both amulets are made with feathers from the same raven. The couple will wear their earring on opposite ears to show they are both one with each other and the raven which they cherish. Moonlight: During each full moon, The Silent Ravens turn out their fires and meditate together under the moonlight. Often the Song Weavers and other musicians will play flutes, harps and other similar instruments to create a meditative atmosphere. This tradition was created by their first Warlord, who found the moon to be a very dear friend. With their old Warlord's passing, the whole tribe has taken up her pass-time of cherishing the moon's light. The Silent Ravens have also used this night as a time for special occasions, including marriage and funerals. Those who are born during the Moonlight are considered be of good omen and they often become Magic users (This is mostly coincidental) Ravens: Most, if not all, Silent Ravens own a pet raven. It does not matter if the raven is white or black, what matters is the bond between the raven and their owner. It is considered a crime among the tribe to kill a raven in any way, and is it considered a dishonor to have a raven abandon their owner. When a raven abandons their owner, they must look for it and bring it back. Should they fail, they will not be considered a Silent Raven and must retake their tests.